butler



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. H. BUTLER & L. B. COBB. DESK.

No. 587,473. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

(J. H. BUTLER & L. B. COBB.

DESK.

No. 587,473. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

Wfigesses. tUI/E @mzzgw 5w.

UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES H. BUTLER, oFsoMERvI nLE, AND llEANDER B. coon,- ornvnnn'r'r,

MASSAOHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO THE CHANDLER ADJUSTABLE 01mm AND, DESK COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I x

DESK.

'- srncmenrron forming 3m of Letters Patent No. 587,473, dated August 3, 1897.; Application filed Maroh31, 1897. Serial No. 630,071. (No model.)

poses, although it may be used'to advantageon other desks, as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a desk made in accordance with our invention and showing the lid moved backward in its normal locked position. Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the lid drawn more or less forwarg. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view of the esk on the line 3' 3 in Fig. 1, showing theunder side of the lid and its attachments. Fig. 4 represents a similar sectional view on the line 4 4 in Fig. -2. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1.

. Fig. 6 represents a cross-section on the line 0 6 6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 represents a cross-section on the line 7 7 iii-Fig. 1. .Fig.8 represents a cross-section on the line 8 Sin Fig. 1. Fig. 9 represents an enlarged sectional view of the spring locking device for holding the lid secured to the desk-body in the normal .position represented in-Fig. 1, and Fig. 10

represents a sectional view showing a modified form of such locking device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wher- 40' ever they occur on the difierent parts of the drawings.

In the drawings the desk-body is represented ascomposed'of a back A, sides A, bottom A, and front A, 3181181131. The front may be an open or closed one, as may be desired,.without departing from the essence of our invention. Y

A is the rear top portion of the desk, such rear top-portion being permanently secured to the desk-body in the usual manner.

1 The sides of the desk are preferably more or less inclined toward the front, as usual.

B B represent the lid, supported on the sides A A, and said lid is capable of sliding adjustment to and fro in using it. In the drawings we have shown the said lid composed of two parts Band B, hinged together at b, so as to permit the main portion B to be swung upward, as represented in .dotted lines in Fig.

1, and although this is the most preferred construction, as it enables the lid to be raised for the purpose of placing and removing articles into and from the desk body, still we do not limit our inventionto this exact construction, as, if so desired for certain kinds of desks, the lid may be hingeless and made in one single piece.

- To the interior of each side portion A of the desk-body is secured a preferably metal guide-rib O, which may be of any desired size and sectional form.

To the under side of the lid of the desk, at or near its sides, are securedcatches D D, adapted t o engage the guide-ribs C in such a .manner as to properly guide the lid when adjusted forward and back, as well as to prevent the said lid from being raised, except, if so desired, when said lid is placed in its normal locked position and when the said lidis of the hinged kind represented in Fig. 1.

If the lid is a' hinged one and it is desired to raise it when in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, we make a cut-away portion or notch O'on each of the guide-ribs (J, opposite to the place where the catch D is located, so as to cause said'catch ,to pass freely through such cut-away portion O. when the lid isto be raised,as shown in Figs. l and 5. If, how'- ever, the lid is a hingeless one, We dispense. with the cut-away portion or notch O and go make each of the guide-ribs continuous and unbroken throughout its length. Theupper catch D is at all times in engagement with the guide-rib C, whether the lid is a hinged V one or not. 5 For thelpurpose of locking the lid to the desk-body when said-lid is pushed to its rear normal position, as represented in Fig. 1, we make use of a suitable automatic locking de-- vice, and we have for this purpose represented, [00

- one form of such locking device in the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, S, and 9;' and it consists, preferably, of a spring-pressed lockin g projection 'l l, arranged and guided in a box or bearing E, secured to the side A of ihcdcsk-bod y or made in one piece with the guide-rib G. Said locking projection is normally pressed up- 7 ward by the influence of V a preferably coiled from the spirit of our invention.

In Fig. 10is shown a modification of the locking device, and it: consists of a ball or cylindenEfl-adapted to be forced upward against the guide-rib O by the influence of thespring e", arranged within the box E.

From the above it will be seen that when the lid is to be drawn forward a slight pull will cause the upper catch D to be depressed and pass by the yielding locking projection E and thus allow the lid to be drawn forward more or less as may be desired. During such forward adjustment of the lid it is guided by means of the catches D D, engaging the stationary guide-ribs C 0, thus guiding. the lid in a parallel direction relatiue to the sides of the desk-body.

.When the lid is moved backward and as it approaches its rear normal position, the upper catch D, as it passes by the yielding looking device E, causes the latter to be sufliciently depressed to allow the said catch D to pass by said yielding locking device, and

after it has passed by it the locking deviceE c is automatically forced upwardon the front side of the said catch D, as represented in Figs. 1 and 9, thus holding the lid secured to the desk-body as long as said lid remains in the normal position shown inFig. 1.

, 4 It will readily be understood that if the lid struction, and operation of our invention,we wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- In combination witha desk a two-part hinged and longitudinally-adjustable sliding lid, stationary guide-ribs secured to the deskbody, and having cut-away notches arranged opposite to the lower catches secured to the lid and upper catches permanently engaging said guide-ribs and an automatic yielding locking device for locking the lid to the deskbody when said 'lid is moved to its normal rear position substantiallyas and for-the'purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this-specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 27th day of March, A. D. 1897. V

JAMES H. BUTLER. LEANDER B. COBB. Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, LAURITZ N. MiiLLER. 

